Derek and Mark's friendship
by thenextshondarhimes
Summary: this is the story of Derek and Mark growing up NON ROMANTIC told by Derek's mom. I plan to continue please read and review.
1. What's a cookie?

The First time I met Mark Sloan he was six years old. Derek had always been introverted, he was kind and caring, but kept to himself and did not often reach out to build friendships with other kids his age so I had been surprized when he asked if his friend could come over to play.

A nice car drove up to the front of our house and stopped, the child got out of the front seat, it didn't even look like he had a carseat, and walked up to the house all by himself. I was surprised because this was something I did with my ten year old, and only to families I had already met. With six year olds you still walk them to the door, meet the parents, get their phone number, and hug and kiss them. He didn't even really look back at them.

"Hi, I'm Derek's mom Carolyn, welcome to our house."  
"I'm Mark Sloan." He said.

"Hi Mark! I'm glad you came over, I thought maybe we could play soccer outside and when my Dad comes home from his store He said maybe we could go to Central Park after dinner."

"That sounds fun," Mark replied. "Who are they?"

"Oh those are my sisters, but they are mean and I ignore them, Mark is MY friend guys, you can't play with him like you always tell me about your friends." Derek was proud that he finally had someone to bring home because he was always the one left out while everyone else had friends. The boys went outside and kicked the soccer ball back and forth. I was watching them from the kitchen window while I prepared some cookie dough.

"Mark, Derek, how would you guys like to ball the cookie dough up for me?" I called out to them.

"Ok Mom!" Derek smiled. Mark put the soccer ball back in the toybox and they went into the house.

"What is that?" Mark asked.

"Cookie dough?" What kid has never seen cookie dough, maybe his family makes a different kind. Mark still looked confused.

"Have you had a cookie before?" Derek asked. Right as I was about to reprimand him for asking a dumb question Mark cut me off.

"Like an Oreo?"

"A chocolate chip cookie?" Derek asked.

"Never heard of it."

"Well Mark, what I do is mix some good things together like flour, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs and baking powder and then they turn into this dough, this goes on the cookie sheet in balls and then I bake it in the oven and in ten minutes you guys will have fresh cookies." Carolyn explained and tussled his hair.

"I've never heard of that before, sometimes we get Oreos, but I didn't know cookies were made at home."

"Where did you think they came from?" Derek asked.

"A factory."

"So you go like this," I demonstrated to them how to roll them up. They did a good job, Mark had a very percise hand movement. "You have steady hands Mark, you could be a surgeon."

"That's what my parents are." The boys finished the cookie and I put them in the oven and went back out to play catch, Mark had never seen a baseball glove up close before, Derek told me later. I called them in when the cookies were ready and gave them each two and a glass of milk. Mark said they were the greatest things he had ever tasted so I packed some up for him for when he had to go home. That night he had dinner with us, again he seemed confused about the fresh food and he was having a hard time grasping the concept that all the food didn't come in a plastic tray and wasn't cooked in the microwave. Derek's father took them to the park that night, It was his first time going to a park, and we know they live close to that one. After that day it seemed like Derek really liked Mark, so I planned to encourage Derek to include him in our family outings and holidays so he wouldn't miss his childhood.


	2. Birthdays

**[A/N: I honestly don't know when their birthdays are, but for the purpose of this story we can pretend they are around the same time]**

When it got close to Derek's seventh birthday he announced that it was around the same time as Mark's birthday and that he couldn't believe he had never had a party. I decided I would ask Derek if he wanted to share his party with Mark, they were in the same class at school so they could just invite the whole class anyways and tell them to bring two gifts, and it wouldn't even cost them any extra. "Derek, how would you like to share your party with Mark, that would mean his name would be on the cake too and people would sing to him too, but you both get gifts and you're whole class will be there."

"Really? We can do that, that sounds so much fun. I can't wait to tell him about it."

"Well. Let me call his mother or father and make sure they are o.k with it, can you give me his number?" I got the paper from my son, dialed the phone.

"Hello," It sounded like Mark.

"Hi Mark, this is Carolyn, Derek's mom, can I talk to your mom?"

"Ok," He sounded confused.

"Dr. Sloan," She said.

"Hi, my name is Carolyn Shepherd, I'm Derek's mom, Derek and Mark are friends at school and Mark's come over a few times."

"Oh yes, we wanted to tell you, Mark has been having a really good time with you guys, he let me try his cookie and it tasted amazing."

"Well thanks, it's a family recipe, anyways, I guess the boys have their birthdays around the same time, I was wondering if it would be o.k if we say it's Mark's party too?"

"Why, you are so kind, that would be great, we've been meaning to plan a party for him we just never get around to it every year, I don't know where the time goes, just let me know how much it costs and I'll send a check." The boys chose a superhero theme that year since the weekend before they had been reading comic books. We had it at the bowling alley, another thing Mark had never done. I remember when we took Mark to the bakery to pick up the cake he was surprised because it even had his name on it. I never asked Mark's mother for any money, but a few weeks later a check for four hundred dollars came in the mail from her. I called her and told her the party had costed way less, but she just insisted that I keep it. I felt guilt in cashing it, but our family could use the money. After that year the boys practically expected shared parties, each year they thought of something different, one year they had a toy boat race, another year they went to a go cart track.


	3. Back to School Night

[**A/N: by the way if there is a certain scene/idea you would like to see played out, just let me know and I will see what I can do]**

When the boys were ten years old I went to back to school night in their classroom. We were at Mark's desk and Mark was showing us one of his drawings when their teacher came up to me. "Hi! Mrs. Sloan, I'm Mrs. Johnson, it's nice to meet you can we talk for a minute?"

"Well, I'm Mrs. Shepherd, Derek's mom actually, but we can talk, Mark has become a part of my family and his parents couldn't be here today." She took me up to her desk and told me that Mark has a hard time staying awake through the whole day and around ten in the morning he gets tired, sometimes he even falls asleep, and some days he comes without lunch. I decided to bring it up to hiim when we were eating dessert at dairy queen that night.

"Your teacher says you fall asleep or get tired during the day Mark," Mrs. Shepherd said.

"Yeah, sometimes." Mark looked down.

"Do you stay up late and watch t.v?" I smiled. Something told me this boy never had been confronted by a parent before.

"No."

"Then why are you tired?"

"I just. I can't sleep."

"And why not?"

"It's scary." He said feeling really ashamed to be a ten year old boy that was afraid of something. He trusted that Derek wouldn't make fun of him though.

"What makes it scary?" I asked. I was starting to get concerned about what his parents were doing to him.

"Just being alone."

"You stay alone?"

"On certain nights, because they work late shifts."  
"Is that why sometimes you don't bring lunch. Your teacher told me."

"Yes. They are too tired and I don't bother to wake them up in the morning so I just leave." I could not imagine Derek, or Amelia or any of my other children leaving the hosue without kissing me goodbye, I know the time will come some day, but not at his age.


	4. Bunk beds and Sibling Rivalries

Derek stood in the furniature store looking at a bed, he had finally outgrown his small single bed some of his siblings had also been through, and his four year old sister was getting too big for her toddler bed.

"Dad can I get this one?"

"A bunk bed Derek, now really, what would we use a bunk bed for?" He smiled, he knew exactly what Derek's plan was.

"For when Mark wants to stay at our house, it will be more comforable than the floor."

"Sounds good, sir can I order this in black," He said to the clerk. "What kind of sheets do you want Derek?"

"Superman for me, and Spiderman for Mark." Derek's father grabbed some sheets and headed to the checkout. Derek came home very excited to tell me the good news.

"I guess you should call Mark and tell him!" I said. I knew it was his parents work night tonight, "Maybe he wants to come for dinner and cookies." Derek called him and he came half an hour later. I was proud, I heard Derek let Mark chose which bed would officially be his. That night we ordered a pizza and then we all sat down and watched a movie. Mark and Derek went to 'their' room and the next morning they didn't come down until almost ten. Derek was up earlier, but Mark needed his sleep, something told me he was still scared to sleep alone.

X

The boys had their first fight that year, Derek was a team captain for dodgeball and he didn't pick Mark first because he wanted to give a girl who was never picked first a chance and Mark was picked by the other captain. Derek told me all of this when he came home alone that day. I decided to go talk to Mark. I put Derek in my car and we drove to his house, much not to my surprise no one was home. We knocked on the door and he looked through the peephole and opened it.

"What do you want," He said looking at Derek.

"I said I was sorry, it was one day, one game and it's over now," Derek said.

"No. It's always like this, the people that are my friends stop wanting me and ignore me and it's like I'm just there but not really." There weren't too many times before where I had been able to see the damage his parents had caused him, but this was one of them. It was like abandoment, his parents never hurt him, but he wasn't played with, cooked for, or loved. He just existed. I still tear up when I think about it, I wish I could have loved him more, maybe that would have prevented the bigger problems that laid ahead.

"Mark, Derek is your best friend, you are his best friend, he will always be here for you no matter what and I really want you to forgive him, you need eachother."

"I guess I shouldn't have acted that way," Mark said.

"I understand," Derek said.

"Now hug boys!"

"Really mom," Derek Said. They did, and it warmed my heart. Now they really were siblings, because siblings don't always get along. "Mark, what are you doing about dinner?"

"I was left this," He held out a t.v dinner, frozen chicken, frozen corn, frozen brownie.

"Well why don't you come eat with us, I can drive you home, or you can stay with us even though it's a school night, Derek hasn't done his homework yet."

"Neither have I.." Mark said looking guilty.  
"Well, then there we have it, you two will do your homework." In the morning I packed a lunch for both the boys, and Mark didn't have any clean clothes because he was about to do laundry so he wore some of Derek's.


	5. Two Pennies and a Watch aftermath

Mark went to see his grandmother for the weekend and my husband had planned to take Derek and Amelia to his store today. The older girls were away at camp so he wanted me to have a free day. Unfortunately he was shot and killed that day. I almost wish Mark would have been here that weekend, Derek and Amy would have been at home and not had to go through that. Monday came quickly after a rough weekend. Around the time school ended Mark called asking if Derek was sick. I told him what had happened and he asked if there was anything he could do to help. He really was turning into a Shepherd. I just told him to look out for Derek's things at school, get his assignments and bring them when he could. He brought us a pizza that night and even cried with our family. After the funeral he and Derek were shooting hoops in the backyard.

"I just can't believe he's gone," Derek said.

"I know Derek, he was more than my father ever will be."

"A watch," Derek froze.

"What?" Mark looked back.  
"A damn watch, a god damn watch, why was his watch so important, what could they possibly do with that watch, it can't be more important than the things I would have done with my dad with the at least 25 good years of his life." Derek through the basketball against the wall, it almost hit Mark. He stormed up to his room and slammed the door. Mark came and found me and told me what happened and said he was going home for the day and he would call in a few days. When he did call I gave the phone to Derek but he didn't want to talk. He didn't want to eat anymore either and he rarely left his room. He just laid in his bed. I gave him space for some time, but time didn't help, he needed something else. I arranged for Mark to come over, I even bought a new video game system to try and entice Derek out of his room. Mark and him talked for half an hour, to this day I still don't know what was said, but after that talk Derek was o.k again, he started eating, he played his new video game system, and he was as happy as a boy who lost his father could be at that time. Derek did get better, but you can still tell it bothers him sometimes.


	6. Many Reasons I'm Thankful for Mark

Mark went to see his grandmother for the weekend and my husband had planned to take Derek and Amelia to his store today. The older girls were away at camp so he wanted me to have a free day. Unfortunately he was shot and killed that day. I almost wish Mark would have been here that weekend, Derek and Amy would have been at home and not had to go through that. Monday came quickly after a rough weekend. Around the time school ended Mark called asking if Derek was sick. I told him what had happened and he asked if there was anything he could do to help. He really was turning into a Shepherd. I just told him to look out for Derek's things at school, get his assignments and bring them when he could. He brought us a pizza that night and even cried with our family. After the funeral he and Derek were shooting hoops in the backyard.

"I just can't believe he's gone," Derek said.

"I know Derek, he was more than my father ever will be."

"A watch," Derek froze.

"What?" Mark looked back.  
"A damn watch, a god damn watch, why was his watch so important, what could they possibly do with that watch, it can't be more important than the things I would have done with my dad with the at least 25 good years of his life." Derek through the basketball against the wall, it almost hit Mark. He stormed up to his room and slammed the door. Mark came and found me and told me what happened and said he was going home for the day and he would call in a few days. When he did call I gave the phone to Derek but he didn't want to talk. He didn't want to eat anymore either and he rarely left his room. He just laid in his bed. I gave him space for some time, but time didn't help, he needed something else. I arranged for Mark to come over, I even bought a new video game system to try and entice Derek out of his room. Mark and him talked for half an hour, to this day I still don't know what was said, but after that talk Derek was o.k again, he started eating, he played his new video game system, and he was as happy as a boy who lost his father could be at that time. Derek did get better, but you can still tell it bothers him sometimes.

X

Now I'm not sure how true this one is, but the older girls told me Derek got his confidence to go after girls from Mark. It seemed like Mark had a different girlfriend nearly every month all throughout high school, but he never failed to introduce me to who he was with. I noticed a pattern, he seemed to go after slightly "broken" girls that he could take care of. Derek had one serious relationship, it lasted a little more than a year and went from his junior year, until just before the end of his senior year.

Derek and Mark's graduation night was a proud day for me, I cheered loudly for both of my boys. Mark's parents were able to come, but they quickly left after his name was called and didn't seem too excited. Afterwords I hugged each of my boys and we took some pictures on the football field. We all went out to dinner and Mark surprised us by paying, and the restaurant was fairly nice. He said some very nice things about me always taking him in and taking care of him. I was glad that next fall the boys would be headed off to college together. They were going to be roommates, and both wanted to become surgeons.


	7. Forgiveness is Such Sweet Sorrow

Derek came into my house crying one day. "How are you doing?" I asked him gently, I could tell something was really wrong.

"She. She cheated."

"Addison? But I loved her, she was so good to you, and to Amelia, I can't believe she would do a thing like this."

"With Mark." Hearing that just about broke my heart, If I wouldn't have had him over so much, if I wouldn't have encouraged that friendship, he wouldn't have ever been around. My son was cheated on and it was all my fault. Well sort of, Mark was broken as it was, I loved him as much as I could, but I can only do so much. Derek had mentioned going to Seattle to be with Richard Webber, who he had interned for, and I thought that was good for him so I encouraged him to go for it. He left for Seattle the next week. I went back to his place to get some of his stuff and Addison's car was outside. I came in and she was crying on the couch. I sat down with her and rubbed her back. I know she hurt my son, but she was hurting right now and she needed someone. I wondered how Mark was doing too, so after I got Derek's stuff and said goodbye to Addison I drove to his apparetment. There was a trampy looking girl walking out as I walked in. I knocked on the door.

"Carolyn." He said and frowned.

"I know what you're thinking."I began

"Please come in." I went into his place, he kept it fairly clean, just like a Shepherd, I thought. "I was going to see Derek one day after work, Addison had just had a fight on the phone with the Captian and Bizzy and she was crying, I'd never seen her so upset before, I was sitting next to her and rubbing her back and one thing led to another. She did instigate it though, but I should have stopped, there was something in me, I couldn't, and now I've lost my best friend and I would give anything just to talk to him again."

"Mark," I tussled his hair just like I use to do when he was a little boy. "I know what you did was wrong, but you will always be my 'son' and I will always love you. Unless you kill Derek, but that is the line for any of the other children in my family as well. I didn't come here to be mad, or to yell, I know you were messed up as a kid and that's why you are like this now, but just give Derek some time, don't call him right away, things will be o.k, I promise." I kissed him on the forehead.

Derek was never the same after this happened, it was almost like he's afraid of his family now, rarely visits, hardly ever calls, I heard he speaks to Amelia sometimes, but he won't ever be the same. Mark and him eventually did become friends again, and my boys are back working at the same place. Still, I really liked that Addison girl, Meredith is, she's nice, but she isn't Addison.

**{a/n: thanks to all my readers, I really had fun with this one and I hoped you guys enjoyed reading it as well, check out my other stories and follow me if you like me, I still have three weeks off, so that means lots of time for more stories :) }**


	8. time warp The Microwavable Frog?

**[A/N: this is just a little drabble that goes somewhere in the middle, what happened was I re watched an episode and Carolyn says to Mark "You look just as guilty as you did when you were 10 years old and you put Derek's favorite frog in the microwave," and thus this story was born]**

Ten year old Mark got into my car after school. It was friday and this had been their agreement, every friday Mark goes home with us and he sleeps over every weekend, but they both had to have good weeks at school and not get into any trouble with the teacher. Derek followed moments later, he had come from another part of the school because this year he was doing so well he was put in a combo class where he was with kids from one grade above. Mark had decided just to stay in a regular grade. I took them home and made them some sliced apples with peanut butter for dipping. I was outside in the backyard watching Amelia play in her sandbox and talk about her day in kindergarten and I heard yelling from inside and walked in to a sort of warm, wet, seafood smell. "Its not what I meant" Mark yelled.

"You're stupid,"Derek yelled back throwing a punch at Mark. Sadly, the boys still hit each other, even in their late fourties, boys will be boys I guess.

"What is going in in here?" I asked calmly, putting an icepack on Mark's eye, sitting next to him so Derek can't get him.

"He microwaved Froggicus,"That was the name of the frog Derek liked the best. Our family had four frogs we kept in the living room next to our aquarium. We caught the frogs at the lake last summer.

"Mark! why on earth would you put a frog in the microwave?" It almost made me sick to open the microwave door, the frog had blown up like a marshmellow and all of the organs were everywhere.

"I didn't, I just wanted him to be able to spin around, we read a story in class about this frog that was able to morph because of a certain type of rays and I'm really sorry, I wanted Derek to be surprised because I could figure out something that he missed out on because we don't have the same class." The boy was doing science! i felt practically guilty.

"We are NOT a science lab in this house," I said firmly. "You touched my family's things without any permission." Shouldn't have said that one. Mark had tears dripping down his face and he walked out. We had known Mark for six years now and he had practically integrated into a Shepherd, he'd been places with us, his parents had given us money, he bonded with my husband, myself, and Amelia and some of the other siblings, and I've just told him he isn't in our family. Derek cried over the death of his frog. I helped him bury what was left of Froggicus in a shoebox in a yard. Amelia was also sad, Nancy and Kathleen thought it was funny. I told Derek I need to go talk to Mark. He didn't object. I went to his house and knocked on the door. Surprisingly enough, Mark's mom was home.

"Carolyn, what a surprise," She said with a smile. "Come on in, what are you doing here, I knew Mark was home early, I thought maybe you guys had family plans or something." Mark hadn't told her. I decided to explain to her. "I'll ground him!" She said.

"No. I wasn't here to tell on him, I'm telling on myself, for what I said to him," Chills ran down me as I repeated 'touch any of my family's things.' I felt horrible. She went and got him and brought him down to the kitchen table. He wouldn't even look at me, I really messed up. Eventually after apologizing I got him to give me a hug and I told him We would always be his family and we loved him no matter what and I was disappointed in him, like I would be if Derek had done that himself. I brought him back to our house and cooked his favorite dinner, pasta with red sauce, I made him chocolate chip cookies and I let the boys watch two movies instead of one. I really just wanted him to feel welcome again. He always did come back though, I was just very careful not to always go into family defense mode when something happened, because they were all the same family. My boys and my girls.


End file.
